Coronavirus outbreak

[Chandrasekhi]

Bravo Masters of the Universe Go*g** : the Gestapo would be envious:
http://[url]https://www.d...ministers-intervened.html

Google restores TalkRadio's YouTube channel in dramatic U-turn when UK ministers intervened - less than 24 hours after it sparked freedom of speech row by axing station's account 'for airing anti-lockdown views'

Google reinstated TalkRadio's YouTube channel following a government intervention, less than a day after the tech giant's 'censorship' sparked a freedom of speech backlash.

YouTube, which is owned by Google, terminated the radio station's account amid claims the broadcaster 'violated' the website's 'community guidelines' by airing criticism of coronavirus lockdowns.  

MailOnline now understands that the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 'made inquiries' yesterday about what appeared to be an extraordinary clampdown on dissent by Google.

A source close to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: 'Protecting freedom of speech was a key part of what he announced on the online harms work.' Google declined to comment.  

YouTube said it had 'briefly suspended' TalkRadio's channel, citing 'flagged content that violate our Community Guidelines, including COVID-19 content that explicitly contradict expert consensus from local health authorities or the World Health Organization (WHO)'.

TalkRadio's account is now back online following a free-speech row, with Michael Gove and actor Laurence Fox denouncing 'Big Tech censorship' while civil liberties groups said the 'chilling' move 'would make China proud'.

A spokesperson for Rupert Murdoch's News UK, which owns TalkRadio, told MailOnline last night that it is still demanding a full explanation for Google's decision to axe the station's YouTube channel.  

TalkRadio presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer yesterday denied that the broadcaster had flouted YouTube's community guidelines, tweeting: 'We simply challenge the evidence that lockdowns are a proportionate response to the Covid virus. It's called free speech.'
.....

YouTube is a private company. They can filter or not allow whatever they want.

Of course they are. For those of us who harbour the misconception that it is space for the exchange of ideas,we should disabuse ourselves of the notion. Tolerance, enlightenment and progress cannot thrive in an echo chamber. If Youtube is a law unto itself and its parent company is increasing its occupation of the "townsquare" (How very Orwellian! ), it is astounding that Civil Liberties groups and the UK government prevailed in this instance.

[Ellie]

Freedom of speech doesn't exist when it is against the narrative, whatever the narrative is. We see this in all media, not just platforms like YouTube. Cancel culture is very strong, too. It's like China where you can't access many websites and can't say certain things or you're deplatformed/disappear. We live in a world where police can invade your home if you have family visiting. It's pretty dystopian.

They all get a lot of money out of lockdowns so of course they'll support it while we sit on our butts and consume, unable to leave our homes indefinitely or live our lives or work. It's a great thing for companies like YouTube, Amazon, etc.

[GoodGollyMissMolly]

Bravo Masters of the Universe Go*g** : the Gestapo would be envious:
http://[url]https://www.d...ministers-intervened.html

Google restores TalkRadio's YouTube channel in dramatic U-turn when UK ministers intervened - less than 24 hours after it sparked freedom of speech row by axing station's account 'for airing anti-lockdown views'

Google reinstated TalkRadio's YouTube channel following a government intervention, less than a day after the tech giant's 'censorship' sparked a freedom of speech backlash.

YouTube, which is owned by Google, terminated the radio station's account amid claims the broadcaster 'violated' the website's 'community guidelines' by airing criticism of coronavirus lockdowns.  

MailOnline now understands that the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 'made inquiries' yesterday about what appeared to be an extraordinary clampdown on dissent by Google.

A source close to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: 'Protecting freedom of speech was a key part of what he announced on the online harms work.' Google declined to comment.  

YouTube said it had 'briefly suspended' TalkRadio's channel, citing 'flagged content that violate our Community Guidelines, including COVID-19 content that explicitly contradict expert consensus from local health authorities or the World Health Organization (WHO)'.

TalkRadio's account is now back online following a free-speech row, with Michael Gove and actor Laurence Fox denouncing 'Big Tech censorship' while civil liberties groups said the 'chilling' move 'would make China proud'.

A spokesperson for Rupert Murdoch's News UK, which owns TalkRadio, told MailOnline last night that it is still demanding a full explanation for Google's decision to axe the station's YouTube channel.  

TalkRadio presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer yesterday denied that the broadcaster had flouted YouTube's community guidelines, tweeting: 'We simply challenge the evidence that lockdowns are a proportionate response to the Covid virus. It's called free speech.'
.....

YouTube is a private company. They can filter or not allow whatever they want.

Of course they are. For those of us who harbour the misconception that it is space for the exchange of ideas,we should disabuse ourselves of the notion. Tolerance, enlightenment and progress cannot thrive in an echo chamber. If Youtube is a law unto itself and its parent company is increasing its occupation of the "townsquare" (How very Orwellian! ), it is astounding that Civil Liberties groups and the UK government prevailed in this instance.

Or you could start your own blog/website if YouTube is stopping you.

[GoodGollyMissMolly]

Freedom of speech doesn't exist when it is against the narrative, whatever the narrative is. We see this in all media, not just platforms like YouTube. Cancel culture is very strong, too. It's like China where you can't access many websites and can't say certain things or you're deplatformed/disappear. We live in a world where police can invade your home if you have family visiting. It's pretty dystopian.

They all get a lot of money out of lockdowns so of course they'll support it while we sit on our butts and consume, unable to leave our homes indefinitely or live our lives or work. It's a great thing for companies like YouTube, Amazon, etc.

Media in the United States is privately held. YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook are privately held. They have set their standards and rules for the content they want on their platforms. They are not forcing you to use them.

The 1st Amendment does not protect you from private repercussions. If you call your boss a cotton headed ninny muggins, you won’t go to jail, but you won’t have a job either.

The only time the government intervenes is if the content of what is being said is a clear and present danger.

[Ellie]

And now social media considers itself the purveyor of news and information. What they decide is true is what people read, and see. They censor anything they do not like. Is that okay? I don't think so. Free speech or bust in every respect. Especially speech I don't like or disagree with.

[GoodGollyMissMolly]

And now social media considers itself the purveyor of news and information. What they decide is true is what people read, and see. They censor anything they do not like. Is that okay? I don't think so. Free speech or bust in every respect. Especially speech I don't like or disagree with.

There’s multiple news outlets that give it straight no chaser. I prefer the AP.

[thecrownjewelthief]

Freedom of speech doesn't exist when it is against the narrative, whatever the narrative is. We see this in all media, not just platforms like YouTube. Cancel culture is very strong, too. It's like China where you can't access many websites and can't say certain things or you're deplatformed/disappear. We live in a world where police can invade your home if you have family visiting. It's pretty dystopian.

They all get a lot of money out of lockdowns so of course they'll support it while we sit on our butts and consume, unable to leave our homes indefinitely or live our lives or work. It's a great thing for companies like YouTube, Amazon, etc.

Media in the United States is privately held. YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook are privately held. They have set their standards and rules for the content they want on their platforms. They are not forcing you to use them.

The 1st Amendment does not protect you from private repercussions. If you call your boss a cotton headed ninny muggins, you won’t go to jail, but you won’t have a job either.

The only time the government intervenes is if the content of what is being said is a clear and present danger.

for using the phrase cotton headed ninny muggins

[Lady Liebe]

OSU researchers discover new variant of COVID-19 virus

https://www.13abc.com/202...ariant-of-covid-19-virus/

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVG) - A new strain of the virus that causes COVID-19 has been identified in Columbus, discovered by scientists at The Ohio State University.

This new variant carries a mutation identical to the U.K. strain, but it likely arose in a virus strain already present in the United States, according to a press release. The researchers also report the evolution of another U.S. strain that acquired three other gene mutations not previously seen together in SARS-CoV2.

The new variant was discovered in one patient from Ohio, so researchers do not yet know the prevalence of the strain in the population.

In contrast, the evolving strain with the three new mutations has become the dominant virus in Columbus during a three week period in late December 2020 and January.
Like the U.K. strain, mutations detected in both viruses affect the spikes that stud the surface of SARS-Cov-2. The spikes enable the virus to attach to and enter human cells. Also like the U.K. strain, the mutations in the Columbus strain are likely to make the virus more infectious, making it easier for the virus to pass from person to person.

The scientists said that discovery of the Columbus variant, COH.20G/501Y, suggests that the same mutation may be occurring independently in multiple parts of the world during the past few months.

This makes quite a bit of sense as contact tracing on some of the people infected with this new strain does not show any connection to traveling  or someone who has traveled abroad, or even from state to state.

[Ellie]

Media really loves these mutations since they can use them for more panic and fear mongering.

Viruses mutate. Lucky for us humans they mutate to be less fatal and more contagious, so this will end up another annoying winter respiratory virus we encounter as kids like other coronaviruses and rhinoviruses. Judging by the media though they mutate to kill everyone on the planet! We're all gonna DIE! (I put the blame for a lot of this hysteria on the media, who is making a lot of money out of us stuck at home being scared out of our gourds to even leave our houses. We'll have a lot of people with PTSD and agoraphobia.)

I think there are 4000 strains out there documented.

I can get vaccinated now if I want to but I'm waiting for the adenovirus vector vaccines, more traditional. mRNA weirds me out because it is so new and so little tested. Everyone I know who's had their second dose has gotten severely ill, some hospitalized. Has anyone had their 2nd dose yet?

I've read countries are now going to force testing and still quarantines if you are negative and vaccine passports. THAT I am not okay with. Whatsoever. The only reason I am getting vaccinated is so I can travel. I booked a trip this July. I doubt it will happen but I needed to use the airfare credit from the trip to Europe I didn't take last year.

Also I noticed now that the Trump administration is outgoing states like NY and even CA are talking about re-opening. I think once the seasonality impacts more as do vaccinations it'll drop off considerably and they can take a victory lap saying they defeated Covid, hurray! With nothing left of society and businesses!

[Aubiette]

I’m getting the second Moderna dose on Tuesday. I’ll let you know if it makes me ill. The first dose had zero side effects. I was told by the nurse administering the first dose that if you’ve had Covid the vaccine was making people ill for a few days. Just word of mouth so I can’t confirm.
I have no idea if I’ve already had it or not. Between working with Covid pts and my husband bringing it home it’s possible. Hubby literally felt crappy for a couple of days, bitched about the quarantining, and that was it. If his work hadn’t told him to get tested (because everyone there is getting it) we would never have known he had it.

[Thistle]

I've close friends in the healthcare system that already took both doses of Pfizer vaccine. One had a bit of a small rash around the place where the needle entered and a small headache for a couple days, no different from any other vaccine he took. The others no reaction at all, it was pretty smooth.

One of them participaed in a post-vaccination study we are doing here in some hospitals, to check the the immunitary response after receiving the vaccine and he developded anti-bodies agains the disease as expected.

[anastasia beaverhausen]

I’m getting the second Moderna dose on Tuesday. I’ll let you know if it makes me ill. The first dose had zero side effects. I was told by the nurse administering the first dose that if you’ve had Covid the vaccine was making people ill for a few days. Just word of mouth so I can’t confirm.
I have no idea if I’ve already had it or not. Between working with Covid pts and my husband bringing it home it’s possible. Hubby literally felt crappy for a couple of days, bitched about the quarantining, and that was it. If his work hadn’t told him to get tested (because everyone there is getting it) we would never have known he had it.

I've close friends in the healthcare system that already took both doses of Pfizer vaccine. One had a bit of a small rash around the place where the needle entered and a small headache for a couple days, no different from any other vaccine he took. The others no reaction at all, it was pretty smooth.

One of them participaed in a post-vaccination study we are doing here in some hospitals, to check the the immunitary response after receiving the vaccine and he developded anti-bodies agains the disease as expected.

Mr. Beaverhausen and I are getting our first shots tomorrow and I’m very happy to read both your posts!   

And sorry about your husband bringing it home, Aubiette.